-stephenson



(No Model.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J.STBPHENSON.

GAR AXLE BOX.

Patented Apr.

u Firms Pmloblkxrwhur, Waahinglun. oc

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' STEPHENSON.

- GAR AXLE BOX. N0. 296,480. 7 Patented Apr. 8,1884.

JOHN STEPHENSON, OF NEW YORK, Y.

CAR-AXLE BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296A80, dated April 8, 188%.

Application filed July 28, 1883. (X0 model.)

To [LZZ whom it may concern' Be it known that I, Jenn Srnrnnnsou, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Car Axle Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of conveyances adapted for running upon street or tram ways; and it consists in certain improvements fully described hereinafter, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the axle-box, sill, and pedestal, showing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan in section through the box; and Fig. is a transverse section throughthe box, axle, and pedestal.

Until recently the running-gear for tram-' cars have had the pedestals in which the axle boxes are confined fixed and braced to the carbody; but short curves, turn-outs, and crossings, as well as irregularities in the level of the rails, have necessitated greater flexibility in the gear. To meet this necessity I construct the runninggear as follows: The carbody, of any desired form, is provided with the usual sills, I, between which and the supporting-pedestal J are confined cushions K K, which I term super-springs, made of indiarubber or other substance capable of compres sion and torsion, care being taken to so construct the springs and attachments that the pedestal has contact with the body only through the elastic medium. Such connections may be variously constructed, as shown. They consist of bolts L, each passing freely through a hole, j, in the sill, through the spring K, and through cups M M, between the upper of which and the sill is interposed a cushion, N, of rubber or other material, while a similar cushion, N, is confined beneath the top plate, k, of the pedestal and the lower cup, M, which also serves as a nut to the bolt. A flanged disk or seat, 0, prevents the spring K from sliding; or the latter may be held directly against the sill by friction. As the fasteningbolts L have no. direct contact with the sill or pedestal and can play freely laterally, they serve simply to prevent the vertical separation of the parts. The pedestals are'retained in their position with respect to the axle by the axle-box, provided with a bearing adapted to a shoulder or collar of the axle, so as to prevent longitudinal movement of one independently of the other. Thus the axle may have an annular groove, a, at the end, adapted to receive a forked checlnplate, B, fitting side grooves, ac, of the axle-box shell, as described in a separate application which I have made for Letters Patent. By this arrangement of axles, boxes, pedestals, springs, and car-body, the pedestals have such suificient freedom of movement in every ncedful direction as to permit the wheels to accommodate themselves to irregularities or deviations in the line of rails without transmitting such irregular movements to the car-body. This also permits the axles to approximate the radial lines of curves, so that the whecl-flanges will occupy their proper positions in the grooves of the rails without the friction and wear resulting when the axle is retained imm ovably at right angles to the line of the body. This permits the curve to he traveled smoothly and easily and without excessive noise. When a car enters a straight portion of the track, the torsion of the springs restores the parts to their normal position.

The springs P P at the sides of the axlebox are confined between the shelves man. and

the bed-plate k of the pedestal by pintlebolts Q, somewhat as in the construction set forth in my Letters Patent No. 238,618. In this instance, however, the pintle-bolts enter enlarged openings at in the sills, and have no dircct contact with the latter, and pass through enlarged openings in cups R R-thc former interposed between the upper spring and the top plate of the pedestal, and the latter between the lower spring and a disk, 1 Each cup R R is somewhat larger in diameter than is necessary to conform to the normal shape of the spring, affording room for an expansion of the latter, which will be brought into complete contact with the cup when the spring is sufficiently loaded, and will then afiord a practically unyielding resistance. This permits the springs to yield readily under moderate loads and secures greatly-increased resistance after the spring has been re-en'forced and limited in its actions by increased contact with the cup. It will be noted that the bearing-surfaces o the springs are rounded both toward the outer v the lateral strain.

peripheries and inward toward the central openings, thereby forming central concavities, to which conform hollow bosses 8, formed upon the cups R R and the disks 9* 1". By this means I prevent the springs being crushed against the pintles, avoid abrasion therewith, and relieve the pintles of a greater portion of By the combination of the disk 'r and cup R, the boss of one fitting into the opening of the other, I am enabled to use superposed springs of light construction in connection with restraining-cups. WVhen desired, however, a single spring only may be used at the side of the box.

Tram-cars, when excessively loaded, are apt to crush the bearing-springs, so that the pedestal strikes with a disagreeable noise and destructive effect upon the top of the box.

If the springs are made stronger to remedy this, the running-gear will not have sufficient elasticity, and varying the forms of the side springs has not proved effective in securing the desired result.

Experiments have shown that a gum spring or cushion, S, placed between the box and pedestal will obviate the above-described difficulty to a great extent. Such cushion is fitted in a socket formed in the top plate of the pedestal, preferably contracted toward the lower end, or slightly dovetailed, so that the bumpercushion may be sprung into the socket and held in suspension without any other fastening.

I therefore claim- 1. A tram-car having the body flexibly connected with its pedestals through the medium of springs capable of lateral play, arranged between the pedestals and sills, and provided with axles having annular grooves and bearings within the boxes sliding in the pedestals, whereby lateral movement of the boxes with respect to the axles is prevented, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a tram-car, of the sills, pedestals, intervening springs, bolts passing therethrough, and cushions at the end of each bolt, and with the two pedestals on opposite ends of the axle held in relative posi tion by the axle-boxes locked on the journals, substantially as set forth.

3. A tram-car with pedestals receiving the boxes and intervening springs, flexible elastic cushions between the car-body and the pedestals, the axle-j ournals locked within the boxes, and the connections arranged to permit the pedestals to change position independently as the axles approximate theradiallines of curves, and to restore the pedestals to their normal positions as the car comes upon the straight portions of the track, substantially as set forth.

' 4:. A tram-car having its axles locked in the axle-boxes, and cushions secured in flanged seats, so as to permit movement of the body independent of the pedestals by which the axles and wheels are'impelled, substantially as set forth.

5. A tram-car having at each side of the axle-box a spring resting on a disk, and the upper end of the spring capped by a reenforce inverted cup, with its bottom indented into a cavity of the spring, the indentation of the cup-bottom receiving the collar of the pintle, substantially as set forth.

6. A tram-ear having at each side of the axle-box a spring in two or more sections, an inverted cup and disk between the springs, an inverted cup above the upper spring, with central. bosses upon the cup and disk interlocking each other and extending into recesses in the springs, and a central pintle extending through all the parts, substantially as set forth.

7. A car-pedestal having an elastic bumpercushion arranged in and supported by a socket beneath the bed-plate and in suspense above the axle-box, substantially as set forth.

8. -A oar-pedestal having at the under side of the bed-plate a socket or receptacle for retaining a bumper cushion, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN STEPHENSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. TAOKABERRY, CHARLES E. FosTER. 

